Hi everyone, I wonder if anyone can help me… our present LL inherited our property, and as they live overseas, have now employed a letting agency.
The agency told us of this, and urged us - are still harassing us actually - to get everything they want done immediately. They only gave us ten days notice for a rent increase… They are trying to get us to commit asap because for two years the LLs have not fulfilled any of their legal obligations, so they cannot get an S21. (The plan was to sell, then a change of mind for a year).
My questions are:
Are we legally obliged to sign the new AST agreement, or can we decline and stay on a rolling tenancy, seeing as it’s now effectively a new LL?
Where do we stand with regards to them asking for a rent increase without sufficient notice - how can we trust a company which does that?
Legally, you’re not obligated to sign the new AST agreement. You can opt for a rolling tenancy since the property’s now under new ownership. As for the rent increase, it appears the agency failed to provide adequate notice, raising doubts about their reliability. You may consider seeking legal advice to ensure your rights are protected amidst these changes.
Thank you all, I appreciate your replies.
No S13, as the increase is stated in the contract. We did tell them about their ahem ‘error’, and they actually said, “we can do that because it’s a new contract”, and then hastily agreed to it starting in July. As far as I’m aware, formal notice can be a letter, or a verbal agreement - and the price is agreed to when a tenant pays it, so there’s no consequences for LLs/agents if they haven’t done things properly.
The agency staff have broken the law, lied, and harassed us, and don’t seem to know the contents of their contracts either, so we can’t trust them at all, what a bunch of cowboys eh?